254 



THE WILD DATE PALM OP INDIA. 



1st. Khaur is made by filling the goor into coarse sacks or gunny 

 bags, and pressing them between bamboos lasted together, or beneath 

 heavy weights, nntil 30 or 40 per cent, of the entire weight is forced 

 out in the shape of molasses. The residue is then mixed, packed in 

 clean bags, and is ready for sale. 



2nd. Fine khaur or nimphool is' made by repeating the above 

 process for making khaur ; the only difference being that the khaur 

 is sprinkled and mixed with water before subjecting it to the second 

 packing and pressure. This causes a further portion of the molasses to 

 be washed out and separated from the mass, and the product is lighter 

 coloured and finer than the khaur, and about 50 per cent, only of 

 the original weight of goor remains. A third application of the same 

 process is sometimes resorted to, which carries away another 5 per 

 cent, of the original weight, and leaves a residue still drier and 

 lighter coloured than the ordinary nimphool. 



In all nimphool and khaur sugars, however, a certain portion of 

 water or moisture remains, it being never subjected to any sun- 

 drying or other process for evaporating the water, and this renders 

 it liable to deliquesce and sweat through the bags in which it is 

 usually packed. This is specially the case in damp weather, and loss 

 of colour and acidity follow in a few weeks. 



3rd. Dullooah, or doloo, is made by filling the goor into round 

 baskets or conical earthen vessels, holding two or three maunds each. 

 The baskets being of an open fabric, and the cones made with a hole 

 at the apex, the molasses drains from the goor into a vessel placed 

 beneath, the process being encouraged by a stratum of three or four 

 inches thick of a wet grass or aquatic weed called " seala " placed on 

 the surface of the goor. The moisture from this attenuates the 

 molasses in the goor, and assists the draining. As soon as the weed 

 is dry it is removed, and the upper stratum of the goor, now deprived 

 of its molasses, is scraped off with a knife to the depth of two or three 

 inches; and a fresh top of seala or wet weed is applied. When 

 dry, a fui-ther portion of sugar is cut off as before, and this is re- 

 peated until the basket or cone is emptied. The sugar, as scraped off, 

 is exposed in the sun on mats to dry, and is then mixed and packed 

 for sale ; and is, when well made, a dry, light, sand-coloured dullooah. 

 Thirty to forty per cent, of produce, varying with the quality of the 

 goor, is made in this way fi^om a given quantity of the latter. The 

 resulting molasses having by the operation of the weed a small por- 

 tion of the sugar crystal melted with it, is subjected to a boiling to 

 evaporate the water, and an inferior, weak-grained, and dark-coloured 

 goor is the result. This is again subjected to the weed-draining as 

 before, and a further portion of 10 to 15 per cent, weight of the 

 original goor is obtained. DuUooahs, if well dried before being 

 packed, may be kept without deteriorating for several months if the 

 weather be dry ; but they always imbibe moisture, and sustain con- 

 sequent injury from the damp air of the rainy season in Bengal. 



4th. Pucka Cheenee, or gurpatta, is the native refined sugar, made 

 by subjecting khaur to a process somewhat resembling that of the 

 English refiner. The khaur is melted in water to the consistency of 

 thin syrup, which is then placed over a fire in an earthen pan, and 



